Meehan: Technology could hold the key in future airline crashes

Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) said Sunday the airline industry could employ advanced technology on planes to better monitor crashes, including black box batteries that last 90 days. 

“As we move into the future, they’re talking about 90-day batteries that may be able to give off signals,” Meehan said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” 

Black box batteries are currently made to last about 30 days. 

{mosads}Meehan serves as chairman of the Homeland Security’s subcommittee on cybersecurity, infrastructure protection and security technology. He’s also a member of the House Transportation Committee. 

The congressman is also working on expanding the Federation Aviation Administration’s NextGen program to create infrastructure that could accurately track movements of planes internationally.

Streaming technology could also be installed on planes that would provide more information if a plane goes off course, Meehan said. 

“This is the kind of thing that can be done through satellite technology. But we’re not there yet in the form of really utilizing it in that way,” he said, adding that these tools are expensive.

More than two weeks after the Malaysian flight bound for China vanished, Meehan said he wished Malaysian authorities would communicate better with the United States. 

“Frankly, I wish it was better,” he said. “Across the board, I think people are looking for more from the Malaysian government in terms of sharing the information they have in a timely manner.”